


BBQ Beginnings

by CaliKayeTylers



Category: the GazettE (Band)
Genre: Aozuki, Fluff, M/M, No Smut, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:48:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26552359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaliKayeTylers/pseuds/CaliKayeTylers
Summary: Aoi is feeling the loneliness of quarantine and needs some cheering up from an old friend.
Relationships: Aoi (the Gazette)/Kazuki (SCREW)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	BBQ Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this based on the series of tweets Aoi posted about wanting an American BBQ but wouldn't ask his band members to come.   
> A small note...I know not everyone likes this ship but I personally love it so I hope some of you can enjoy it too! Please enjoy!!

His bandmates were such assholes. 

Really, he felt old already and them making fun of him over some damn tweet wasn’t helping. At least Ruki had kept his teasing light in his reply tweet, even throwing Uruha under the bus, but through text was a different story. 

Aoi sat back against the headboard of his bed and sighed. Why was he feeling so nostalgic anyway? All weekend long all he’d been able to think about were the cookouts they used to have with the company after successfully completing another tour. They hadn’t had one after coming back from their Ninth world tour. They’d been too busy setting things up for the final, then of course their eighteenth anniversary live needed planning. There was just too much to fuss over to throw in a cookout too. Yet Aoi had secretly yearned for one. He’d even taken to watching videos online of American BBQs. They looked like so much fun. It seemed like Americans took their cookouts very seriously too. They’d have them on holidays and weekends and sometimes in the middle of the week if they felt like it. Family and friends would be invited and backyards and campgrounds would be full of people. That was the part he was missing the most, no doubt. 

Quarantine was taking a massive toll on his attitude. At first he’d been all for it, wanting to keep people safe and return things to normal, but once they’d been forced to cancel the anniversary live...Aoi had found himself in quite the depressing tailspin. He couldn’t meet with his friends, couldn’t go out and fish, and couldn’t be on stage. It was aggravating. He missed his fans and his friends. Now that the restrictions had been somewhat lifted they were able to meet for band practices and meetings but aside from that none of them had met up to just hangout. Other than Ruki and Retia anyway, the two of them had basically used this time as an excuse to move in together. And Aoi was  _ jealous.  _ He would like to have someone to spend all this down time with too. 

Yet, he couldn’t make himself text his bandmates. Asking them to spend time with him seemed so childish. Inviting them over with no reason wouldn’t do and what reason could he possibly have to make it worth their time? They were  _ bandmates.  _ Unless it had something to do with work, they wouldn’t want to be around him. The reality of that hurt but it was something he’d learned to deal with. He really needed to get out of his apartment and clear his head. 

Aoi grabbed his phone and headed for the door where he slipped on his shoes and grabbed his keys. Summer had definitely found its way into the city now. Even this late in the evening the air was humid and warm. There was a small takoyaki stand not far from his apartment building that tended to stay open later so he made his way there and ordered. Just as he was taking a seat on a bench nearby, Aoi felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. The name on the screen was one he almost didn’t recognize but he smiled as he answered. 

“Hello?”

“Ah, Yuu-san, is that you?”

Aoi chuckled. “Hey, Kazuki. It’s been awhile.”

“I’m so glad you kept the same number! I know...it’s been like two years hasn’t it? I’m sorry that I haven’t kept in touch better. I still talk to your mom sometimes. She calls to see how I’m doing. But I’ve been so busy keeping up with the bar and everything. It’s much harder to run than I thought it would be but I love it. Sorry, sorry. I’m going on and on. How are you? How have you been? Are you doing okay during all this virus stuff? Eating enough? Sleeping enough?”

“Kazi, calm down.” Aoi laughed, using the old nickname like they’d spoken only yesterday. It really had been almost two and a half years since he’d last spoken to the younger guitarist. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed hearing him talk so much. Kazuki had always spent so much time fussing over him. People around them and even their respective fans had long thought there was more between them than friendship because of it and though he had tried his best to quell those rumors, he still heard things every now and then. “It isn’t all your fault. I haven’t exactly reached out to you either. I’ve been busy too but yes, I’m taking care of myself just fine. Are you doing okay? It was strange to see your name on my phone.”

“Eh...yes, I’m fine.” Kazuki started and Aoi could see so plainly in his mind how he would be nervously playing with his hair. That was something he’d always done when Aoi had asked about him. He’d always seemed so unshakeable unless it came to him. Anytime they spoke Kazuki would get quiet and nervous at first. He had always supposed that was due to their age difference and that Screw had come into the company well after the GazettE. “I am sorry to have called you so suddenly out of the blue. It’s just...I was thinking about you yesterday and I wanted to get in touch. A-actually, I wanted to ask if you’d let me treat you to dinner next Saturday? If you’re not busy, that is. But you probably are, right? Of course, I shouldn’t have as-”

Aoi’s chuckle stopped his flow of words. “Kazi, I’d love to have dinner with you. It would be nice to get out of the apartment for a while and to catch up with you. I’ll make time for you. Where do you want to meet?”

He could tell Kazuki was relieved, just by the tone of his voice. “Um, could I come pick you up? I have a place in mind but I kind of want it to be a secret.”

“You mean on your bike? Are you going to make me ride bitch?”

Kazuki’s laughter filled his head and maybe his heart too. “No one would ever take you for a bitch, Yuu, but if you don’t mind…”

“I don’t.” He was grinning to himself now without even realizing it. “Just text me what time and I’ll be ready. I’m looking forward to seeing you, Kazi.”

“Me too, Yuu. I’ve missed talking to you.”

The feeling was very mutual.

*************

Throughout the entire week Aoi fought his nerves. He didn’t understand why the idea of going out to dinner with Kazuki was making him so antsy. Maybe it was simply because they hadn’t seen each other in so long and the meeting was so sudden? He was excited to see him again but also...just nervous. Two and a half years was a long time. He’d been twenty-seven when he’d first met a twenty-one years old Kazuki. The six years between them then had felt like a hundred. While Aoi never claimed to be the maturest one in their band, he’d felt a million years old meeting Kazuki. He’d been so young and full of life. Aoi had assumed the boy had come from a privileged family without a care in the world. It hadn’t taken long for him to realize that was farthest from the truth and it was all due to his own willpower that he had made it so far as to sign with PSC. 

The younger boy had been drawn to him for some reason and Aoi had found it increasingly difficult to stay away from him. They’d even met each other’s families and taken a few vacations together. In the ten years that Screw had been under the same company as GazettE, they grew incredibly close and though at times other people made it awkward, Aoi never regretted meeting Kazuki. Screw broke up the year of their tenth anniversary and Kazuki had found other interests, broken away from music and opened his own bar only a year later. Aoi had gone a few times but he’d always been afraid that his presence there would lead to more fans than patrons hanging out. He wanted this venture to be successful for the younger, so he started to stay away. Maybe that was the beginning of the end for them. Or at least it had been until Kazuki’s mysterious call. Aoi had a hard time comprehending his friend being in his mid-thirties now. Did he still have that childlike optimism? Or had time and work dulled his beautiful smile?

“You guys doing anything interesting this weekend?” 

Aoi lifted his head at the sound of Kai’s voice. The drummer was packing away his things now that practice was over for the day. He looked ready to go home. It had been a long week after all. 

Ruki shook his head. He was sitting on the sofa with Reita’s head in his lap, combing his fingers through the bassist’s hair. “Bath. Bed. Repeat. We’ve decided this would be a work free weekend. Gotta get Aki back to a hundred percent.” He answered. Reita hadn’t been feeling too hot the last few days and everyone could tell. 

“I’ll pick something up and bring you guys dinner later tonight.” Uruha added in. “Can’t let my best friend starve to death.”

Kai chuckled. “Knowing you, the food will be rotten before you get there.”

“Funny. Laugh it up Leader-san.”

Aoi couldn’t help but laugh a little at their antics. This was a good way to end the work week despite Reita not being his usual effervescent self. 

Saturday morning Aoi spent far too much time figuring out what to wear. He had no idea where they were going. Kazuki had been mum on that information so he had to guess. He settled on something simple; black jeans and a white t-shirt with a light leather jacket since they’d be riding the bike. Looking through his jewelry, Aoi had taken out the bracelet that he had given Kazuki the matching pair to and slipped it over his hand. He wasn’t sure Kazuki would recognize it but it was worth a try. 

True to his word, Kazuki texted him he was on his way and Aoi headed downstairs to wait in front of his apartment building. Not five minutes passed before he  _ heard  _ Kazuki approaching then he saw the giant red Harley. It's paint seemed to sparkle in the sunlight and Aoi found it quite amazing to look at. At least, until he got a look at it's owner. 

Kazuki had worn tight black jeans and a light blue t-shirt under a leather jacket that looked much like his own. They had shopped together after all. Even covered by clothing he could tell that his friend had been working out too. When he took his helmet off and shook out his shoulder length, dark chestnut hair, Aoi thought his heart would give out. Most of his piercings had been removed over the years except for his ears and one in his lower lip and Aoi unconsciously put a finger to where the ring in his own used to be. He wondered if Kazuki still had that sexy little navel piercing. 

Throughout the beginning years of their friendship, Aoi had grown used to the boy fawning and swooning over him; he was his kouhai after all, but now it seemed the roles were reversed. Kazuki definitely wasn't a kid anymore and he had grown into a man that made Aoi feel a bit dizzy. 

And that smile! It was just the same as it always had been; bright and comforting. 

"Yuu!" He called, swinging one long leg over the bike. In only a second he found himself wrapped in Kazuki's arms. "I missed you!"

Aoi grinned, hugging him back just as tightly. "I missed you too, Kazi. And look at you! You're just as good looking as the day we met."

Kazuki still blushed at his praise but at least now he no longer looked away. "I uh, I noticed after not performing for so long that I was starting to get out of shape so I started working out. Byou and I actually go together. Though he usually just taunts me with ice cream. Anyway, I figured if you can look this good after forty then I need to up my game!"

He hadn't been prepared for that, Kazuki's compliment reddening his cheeks. "Well...thank you. You do look very good Kazi. I'm impressed.  _ But  _ I'm also starving. Why don't we get going?"

"Of course! Here, let me get the spare helmet. Sorry if it messes up your hair too much. Oh. I'm, I have a request."

That sounded ominous. "And what would that be?" He asked, taking the full faced helmet from the younger. 

"Would you wear a blindfold? I want this to be a surprise. Please? I promise I won't wreck."

Aoi chuckled. "I trust you. I'll wear it."

Kazuki was all smiles as he tied a piece of black material around his head and made sure Aoi couldn't see through it.

"You're not kidnapping me for your dungeon are you?" He asked, trying to alleviate some of his own nerves. 

His friend only giggled. "Like I can afford a dungeon. Come on, let me help you on." 

Once he was seated and Kazuki had climbed on in front of him, Aoi tried to find a place to hold on but eventually gave up with a huff. Kazuki's hands found his again and put them on his sides. 

"You'll have to hold on to me if you aren't comfortable. I won't let you fall."

Aoi was thankful for the full helmet now, knowing his cheeks were flaming hot. When did he turn into such a flustered mess? 

It was strange to be on a motorcycle blindfolded. He couldn't see the scenery whipping by but he could still hear it. Somewhere along the line, the noise of the city gave way to a more quiet area and Aoi sat up a bit, realizing he had been leaning against Kazuki this whole time, his arms around his waist. Feeling his friend's breathing against his chest was calming somehow. Where were they? 

"Kazi, how much further?" 

"Not too far." He said, his hand coming to rest on top of Aoi's in a comforting gesture. 

‘Not too far’ turned out to be about half an hour and while Aoi wasn’t going to necessarily complain about his situation, he was extremely curious as to where Kazuki was taking him. When they finally pulled over, Aoi was vaguely aware that there had to be a park close by. He could smell the grass and trees and hear birds twittering away. Kazuki took his helmet off but left the blindfold on, leading him away from the bike. 

When they stopped again Kazuki sounded excited. “Okay. You can take the blindfold off now!”

Kazuki’s excitement mixed with his own curiosity made him feel nervous but Aoi untied the blindfold nonetheless and almost instantly he felt tears spring into his eyes. Paper lanterns were hung all around this small section of the park, their soft light giving everything a warm feel. A couple of tables were set up and filled with food, along with a girl and a few picnic games he recognized. His bandmates were there, smiling at him as Kazuki yelled “Surprise!” from beside him. 

“Yuu?” Uruha asked after a handful of minutes went by with Aoi playing statue. “Are you alright? Why are you crying?”

Was he? Aoi lifted a hand to wipe at his face and sure enough, there was dampness on his skin. “You- you all did this for me?” He asked, a slight frown appearing on his face. 

“Actually,” Ruki started, glancing towards Aoi’s side. “We helped, but Kazuki planned this whole thing. Called us all up and got everything together.”

Aoi turned to find Kazuki with his head ducked to his shoulder, a beautiful blush on his cheeks. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the other being bashful. He was usually so brash and confident. “Kazi? This was all you?”

His friend finally nodded and lifted his gaze to meet Aoi’s own. “It’s uh, it’s no big deal. I just saw your tweets last weekend and you seemed so down and lonely. I know how you get sometimes when you’re alone for too long and I knew you wouldn’t ask the others for their company, so I thought why not have that BBQ you were talking about? So I called the others and they were happy to help me. You don’t give them enough credit, Yuu.”

It was still so odd to hear his real name from Kazuki’s lips. Years had passed before the younger man would call him anything other than ‘Aoi-san’. 

“All you would have had to do is ask, Yuu, and we would have gladly found a way to spend time with you,” Kai interjected. “We didn’t realize you were having such a rough time, although, I guess we should have seen the signs just as Kazuki did. He’s always been more in tune with your moods but you should have known you could come to us.”

Aoi nodded, feeling like his throat was too tight to speak again. His brothers seemed to understand nonetheless. 

“Alright!” Uruha exclaimed, clapping his hands together loudly. “Now that our superstar has arrived, can we please eat?”

Everyone started laughing and moving towards the tables but Aoi turned to Kazuki and wrapped his arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “Thank you so much for doing this for me, Kazuki. It means more than you know.”

Kazuki hugged him back just as tightly. 

**************

It was pushing midnight by the time they had cleaned everything up and the rest of his band started to leave. The evening had been amazing. Aoi was sure his face would break at any moment from how much he’d smiled and laughed in the past few hours. His entire body felt reinvigorated. As if simply being around his friends has hit his reset button. He almost hated for it to end. And judging by the way Kazuki had sat up on one of the tables, eyes closed, a small smile on his lips, he wasn’t ready to leave either. Aoi sat up next to him without a word, close enough their arms just touched. He had never been an extremely touchy person but with Kazuki, it had always been different. 

“I know you don’t want to hear it again, but thank you for tonight. This meant a lot to me and I’m very grateful to have a friend that would do this for me.” He said, nudging Kazuki’s shoulder. 

“I know, Yuu. You don’t have to keep telling me.” Kazuki chuckled. “Actu-”

“I’m happy for you, you know, finding a place for yourself after Screw disbanded. You didn’t mope around, just picked yourself up and really made something for yourself. You enjoy running that bar, don’t you? I can see it in your face when you talk about it. I think that’s amazing and I’m beyond proud of you.” 

Kazuki’s cheeks blushed and honestly, Aoi loved seeing it. “Well, thank you. It means a lot that you would think that highly of me now.”

Aoi frowned. “What do you mean now? I have always held you in high regard. Whether you were aware or not.”

The younger man was quiet then and a soft breeze blew at his bangs. Aoi had to stop himself from reaching out to fix his hair. 

“Yuu? Will you tell me what’s been bugging you so much? I mean, I know the last few months have been hard but I don’t think the quarantine was the only reason for your tweets. Was it?”

The older guitarist offered him a small, albeit tired, smile. “Nothing for you to worry about.”

Kazuki wasn’t giving in though, turning towards him more on the table top. “Why don’t you let me decide that? You can tell me anything. You know that.”

Aoi lifted his gaze to meet Kazuki’s, his heart skipping a beat. When had the younger’s eyes started to look that way? When had Kazuki grown up so much? He finally sighed; maybe it would help to talk. 

“I guess I’m just worrying about what I’ll do when GazettE is gone. After we play that last show, what is there for me?”

“Well, I think at that point, which won’t be for many years, you’ll be able to enjoy a kind of retirement, right?”

He nodded. “Most people work all their life and retirement is when they do all the things they always wanted to do. Kazi, I’ve been doing the thing I’ve dreamed of for twenty years now. I don’t think I’ve worked a day in my life. And older people look forward to not working and spending time with their family. Who knows if my parents will still be around by then and while I see my brother and his family sometimes, it’s not like I have a family to go home to. Even if I was younger and wanted to try dating again, it would take an extraordinary person to be with me. Someone who understands this industry and how important my job is to me. They’d have to be willing to wait for me to come home when I’m on tour and accept that there is no steady schedule. And now that I’m older, I highly doubt anyone is going to want to jump into something like that. There isn’t going to be anyone waiting for me when I get home. I’ve accepted that but sometimes when I see families out together it makes me feel a bit lonely, you know? But I really don’t mean to whine about it. I have a life few could dream of and I wouldn’t give it up for anything.”

Aoi leaned back on his palms and looked up at the black sky partially blocked by gently swaying trees. A few moments of loneliness was a miniscule price to pay for the life he lived. He got to make music with his best friends and perform alongside them. Truly, asking for more would just be selfish. 

“Yuu?”

He turned his head at the sound of Kazuki’s small voice. The younger had his hands clasped in his lap, his head ducked down, hair falling into his face. 

“What is it Kazuki? I’m sorry if my rambling upset you.”

Kazuki shook his head and when their eyes met again he could see determination in the depths of those chocolate pools. “If there was someone like that; someone to understand your life and was more than willing to be there when you came home, what would you do?”

Aoi chuckled, letting his head fall back again. “That’s wishful thinking but I guess I’d go buy a ring and propose right away.”

“My ring size is a 9.”

For a moment the only sounds he heard was the wind rustling the leaves above his head and the steady  _ pounding  _ of his own heartbeat. Aoi felt like shaking his head just to see if he was still awake. What the hell was Kazuki saying?! He finally turned to face his friend.

“Kazuki...I think I had a few too many beers. My mind is a little sluggish. What are you trying to say?”

Kazuki swallowed. “Yuu, you’ve known from day one that I’ve had feelings for you. If you want someone who gets  _ you _ better than anyone else on the planet, then that’s me. You’ve never been clear on our relationship, in public or private, so I may be making a complete fool out of myself right now, but it’s worth it. I’m not saying you have to profess your undying love to me or anything like that, of course. I thought maybe if you wanted to give it a try, we could go out for a real date sometime? Get to know one another again and see where things lead?”

Aoi could hardly get his brain to even begin to process Kazuki’s confession but he was more than aware of the burn in his chest, the hope that flared like a wildfire. For their entire relationship, Aoi had assumed that on Kazuki’s side it had been admiration. He’d looked up to Aoi and maybe it had turned into a crush of sorts, but they’d become friends then. Kazuki was flirty but Aoi had assumed that was how he was towards all of his friends. He’d never had the gall to imagine the younger harboring actual feelings towards him and now...he didn’t know what to do with them. There was only one thing he was sure of…

He reached a hand out to slip his fingers over the back of Kazuki’s hand. “Kazuki, I’m kinda old, you know? And it’s far past my bedtime.” He started and chuckled at the way the younger man’s expression fell. “But, if you’re free tomorrow, maybe we could meet up for a late lunch date?”

Kazuki’s lips spread in a beautiful grin and Aoi could still see the young kid he used to be in that smile. “That yakitori stand near the studio?”

Aoi smiled, squeezing his hand. No frills, no pretense. “For us, that sounds like the perfect date.” Maybe he wasn’t as alone as he’d thought. 


End file.
